Congress manifesto: ‘PM Modi has monopoly in political finance,’ says Rahul Gandhi

Congress manifesto: In preparation for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Congress party unveiled its comprehensive manifesto on Friday, delineating its strategic focus on what it has dubbed the five "pillars of justice".

Addressing the unveiling of the party's 'Nyay Patra' or manifesto for the seven-phased Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi drew parallels between billionaire tycoon Gautam Adani's monopoly in ports and infrastructure and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's alleged control over political finance through central investigating agencies.

Rahul Gandhi highlighted, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a monopoly in political finance by using central investigating agencies.”

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Rahul pointed to the electoral bonds scheme as evidence of how the party garnered its financial resources.

Expanding on his claim, Rahul said the Centre's electoral bonds scheme reveals how the party sourced its funds.

"If you have a close look at the (electoral) bond scheme, you can see very clearly that the BJP ensured funding through extortion, threats and pressure," Rahul claimed.

He added that Opposition leaders across parties, including the Congress, are joining the BJP as they want to maintain their "political finance monopoly."
Rahul Gandhi asserted that Prime Minister Modi is consolidating his financial dominance by leveraging institutions like the ED and CBI. 

He suggested that post-election, details regarding contracts and payments would surface, as evidenced by the electoral bonds system. Rahul emphasized that PM Modi would be compelled to disclose this information to the Opposition. 

Regarding the party's manifesto, he clarified that it was a collaborative effort with inputs from the people of the nation. He highlighted extensive consultations with citizens on critical issues such as employment and contract labor. 

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Drawing a historical parallel, Rahul cautioned against media-driven sentiments reminiscent of the 'India Shining' campaign during Vajpayee's tenure, which ultimately led to the government's defeat. He urged vigilance against similar narratives circulating presently.

On the probable Prime Ministerial face for the Opposition, Rahul said, "A decision has been made by the INDIA alliance that we are fighting this ideological election unitedly. After the elections, the coalition will sit together and decide their leader and Prime Minister. 

(With inputs from agencies)